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South Sydney captain Greg Inglis will miss the 2017 season after injuring his knee in the opening round against Wests Tigers. (AAP)

Things won't get any easier this round with the Rabbitohs travelling to Townsville to take on the Johnathan Thurston-inspired Cowboys.

The only change sees Braidon Burns return to the wing to replace Sitiveni Moceidreke after missing the Roosters match through suspension.

Sterling believes the Rabbitohs aren’t the only ones under pressure, with Bulldogs coach Des Hasler facing a challenge to keep his position after a poor start to the season.

Canterbury has managed only one win but it was their most recent 36-0 thumping by Manly that has placed doubts over whether Hasler's expected contract extension to remain at the club until the end of 2019 will be rubber-stamped by the board.

"They were terrible," Sterling said. "I think it's the worst performance by the Canterbury side that I have seen under Des Hasler's coaching.

"(There's) only two types of coaches, those that have been sacked and those that are waiting to be sacked. Unfortunately in the NRL where there's smoke, there tends to be fire.

He's under pressure Des Hasler, there's no doubt.

"That's now seven losses from their last eight games taking into account the back end of last season of course.

"They're a club that demand success, they haven't had much of it and the drums are beating.”

Hasler has been at Canterbury since being poached from Manly for the 2012 season, and while he has managed to steer the club to two grand finals he still does not have any silverware to show for his troubles.

The loss to Manly at Lottoland was the worst performance Peter Sterling has ever seen from a Bulldogs side under coach Des Hasler. (AAP)

Sterling said what made the loss against the Sea Eagles even harder to stomach was the fact that Hasler had been confident of a win after he spoke to him before the game.

Instead they collapsed under a rash of penalties, mistakes and missed tackles to be only two points off the record defeat Manly inflicted on Canterbury in 1954.

"I did not see this coming,'' Sterling said.

"I actually spoke to Des Hasler, the Canterbury coach, just before the game, and he was very confident.

"He actually felt they could have won all three matches leading into this one but after the first 10 or 15 minutes where Canterbury had all the ball and all the field position, this game was over.

"They were out of contention the Bulldogs after the opening exchanges and Manly, their second half wasn't great but the first 40 is as good as we've seen Manly play."

The Bulldogs face a tough time to turn things around when they take on Brisbane at ANZ Stadium on Thursday night and will have to do it without regular halfback Moses Mbye after he was suspended for one match for a shoulder charge on Manly backrower Curtis Sironen.

Hasler has named rookie Matt Frawley to replace Mbye, who has played 84 matches in the NSW Cup for Canberra and the bulldogs, but is yet to make his NRL debut.